


It Started with a Hoodie

by BitterRenegade



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Comedy, F/M, Fluff, Shepard and Joker belong together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-06
Updated: 2017-02-06
Packaged: 2018-09-22 09:42:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9602165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitterRenegade/pseuds/BitterRenegade
Summary: “I told Vega that you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off me.”“Oh?” I grinned wickedly and Joker gulped, taking a step back.“Well, I mean, uh,” he spluttered, beginning to turn an adorable shade of pink. “As a joke, I didn’t mean it seriously Commander.”After that, mostly as a joke but also because of what he referred to as our ‘pent up sexual tension’ I took every opportunity to not keep my hands off him around James.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RiriYuki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiriYuki/gifts).



It started with a hoodie. Soft and black with my signature red and white stripe on the right arm, and an embroidered N7 on the chest. He brought it up to my cabin a few days after we left Earth. I’d thrown my arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek, so happy that he thought of me but not knowing what to say. It wasn’t like there was an extranet store to just buy N7 hoodies. He had to have gotten it custom made. Jeff smiled down at me with a softness I didn’t know he was capable of before saying something that he would soon regret.

“I told Vega that you wouldn’t be able to keep your hands off me.”

“Oh?” I grinned wickedly and Joker gulped, taking a step back.

“Well, I mean, uh,” he spluttered, beginning to turn an adorable shade of pink. “As a joke, I didn’t mean it seriously Commander.”

“Please, Jeff, call me Morena,” I told him with a sly look. His expression looked like that of someone who knew that they were in for a bad time. “You should probably head back to the bridge though, Flight Lieutenant. I mean, what would people think?” I teased, hugging the hoodie to my chest.

Jeff cracked a smile and snorted. “Sure thing Comman… Morena,” he corrected. “Wouldn’t want anyone to know about all our one on one hang outs and pent up sexual tension.”

After that, mostly as a joke but also because of what he referred to as our ‘pent up sexual tension’ I took every opportunity to not keep my hands off him around James. Lingering arm touches, pats on the shoulder, friendly hugs... He always looked so hilariously uncomfortable whenever I did that.

The next time we stopped at the Citadel, I walked into an engraving store and walked out with a heart shaped piece of glass with the words ‘Thanks for pulling my ass out of a volcano’ etched into it. He had said that he wanted a medal for that, years ago, but I figured this was just as good. I waited until James and Jeff were hanging out and then I made my move.

“James, Jeff,” I greeted, walking up to the two of them while trying (and probably failing) to hide my excitement. As innocently as I could, I placed a hand on Joker’s chest, holding his gift behind me with the other. “I got you something!” I beamed. James raised an eyebrow, looking back and forth between us but not saying anything about it. Jeff glanced down at my hand for a moment before meeting my eyes and smirking at me.

“A gift? How thoughtful.” Without missing a beat (or removing my hand) I handed him the ‘award’. We changed position easily, with me stepping to stand closely beside and him wrapping his free arm around my waist while inspecting the gift with a grin. “What? No medal?” he pouted.

James snickered. “Joker, she got you a gift! What about a thank you?”

The pilot rolled his eyes. I scoffed and answered instead. “He can thank me after I defeat the Reapers singlehandedly.”

And not long after that, I’d started not keeping my hands off him even if James wasn’t around. That Jeff didn’t really look uncomfortable when my hand lingered on his arm or shoulder, and would hug back.

…Too bad once I realized that, I was about to die.

I laughed to myself sadly, raising my gun and limping towards the machine. I knew my comm worked, I had been able to speak with Anderson. I just… didn’t know if he would hear me. “You know, Joker, we never really talked about our pent up sexual tension during those one on one hang outs,” I joked, mostly to myself, hoping he might hear.

**_BANG_ **

“You know, Jeff…”

**_BANG_ **

“…I never actually said thank you for that hoodie, did I?”

**_BANG_ **

…

…

…

The only thing I could hear in the room was the heart monitor, the squeaks of space hamster, and her breathing, but that was better than silence. Everyone had come by at different times, but I rarely left her side. The only time I did was to grab a few things for her for when she woke up. A new model ship, some fish, her hoodie…

I clutched the fabric tightly, it was soft and worn and the black had lightened. There was a hole in one of the sleeve ends from all her anxious tugging and the zipper was broken and some of the stitching had come loose. With gritted teeth, I held back a sob, reached out and touched her hand.

“Thanks, Morena.”

It started with a hoodie.

**Author's Note:**

> Teehee


End file.
